Mail-handling apparatus.



D. B. COUGHLIN. MAIL HANDLING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED we. a, ma.-

Patented Feb. 23, 1909.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID E. GOUGHLIN, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOIt 0F ONE-FOURTH TOHARRY W. FROST, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

MAIL-HANDLING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 23, 1909.

Application filed August 3, 1998. Serial No. 446,624.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID E.CoUeHL1N,a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Detroit, in the county of NVayne and State ofMichigan, have invented cer tain new and useful Improvements in Mail-Handling Apparatus, of which the following is a specification, referencebeing had therein to the accompanying drawings.

The invention relates generally to appa' ratus for handling mail frommoving trains, and consists in means for receiving the bag or pouch fromthe usual delivery mechanism, including a continuously movable catchermember which by its continuous movement permits gradual dissipation ofthe energy of momentum imparted to the bag, thereby obviating anyappreciable jar or shock to the apparatus.

The invention further consists in means for shifting the path ofmovement of the member referred to whereby it will be caused to operatein a position beyond its initial location, and sufficiently beyond thetrain so as to effectively prevent the moving parts from strikingpersons within or projections upon a moving car.

The invention still further consists in the peculiar arrangement andcombination of the various various detai s of construction as more fullyhereinafter set forth.

In the drawings illustrating my invention,Figure 1 is a perspective viewof an embodiment of my invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view, partly brokenaway to illustrate the detail construction of some of the parts of the aparatus; and Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectionai perspective view of partsof the mechanism.

In the accompanying drawings, I have illustrated the preferred form ofthe apparatus, but it will be understood that various changes may bemade in the arrangementand combination of the parts and in the generalconstruction without in any manner departing from the spirit of myinvention.

The mechanism is intended to be located at or near the station where themail is to be delivered from a moving train, and comprises in itsconstruction a base, as 1, of any suitable type, upon which is mounted avertical standard 2.

arts of the apparatus, and in 3 is a movable support in the form of aframe, preferably pivoted for horizontal rotation on the verticalstandard 2.

4 represents a spring serving to move the frame 3 parallel with thetrack in the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. l, the operativeposition of the support being .in right angular relation to the track,as lndicated by the full lines.

5 is a stationary standard secured upon any suitable base beside thetrack adjacent to the frame described.

The numeral 6 represents the bag catching member mounted on the swingingsupport for continuous movement preferably in a horizontal plane. Themember is preferabl I in the form of an arm, and is provided at itsouter end with bag catching and retaining devices in the form ofcrotches 7, the crotches being oppositely disposed so that the bag orpouch may be caught in elther direction. At its inner end the arm issecured to the vertical-shaft 8, which in turn is pivoted in the outerend of the frame 3. On the shaft 8 is a suitable wheel 9 provided with adownwardly projecting shield 10, the central portion of which isslightly concaved so as to fit the pin or standard 5 and serving as alock to hold the parts of the apparatus in their operative position tocatch the bag.

On the frame 3 is a spring-pressed hook 11 adapted to engage and lookupon a in 12 stationarily secured in operative relation thereto,preferably upon a suitable base 12, and 14 represents a stop upon saidbase in the form of a yielding buffer, which, together with the pin 12,serves to limit the swinging movement of the rotar frame support 3. Thehook 11 describe is provided with an extension 11 in the form of ahandle section, affording means for releasing the hook from the pin 12when the apparatus is to be reset 1n its operative position.

Any suitable delivery mechanism may be used upon the car for deliveringthe be. or pouch to the receiving mechanism, an as the same forms nopart of the present invention it is not herein shown or described.

The parts of the apparatus being arranged in their operative position asindicated in full lines in Fig. 2, the operation is as follows: Upon thedelivery of the mail bag from the moving train, the pouch is caught uponthe bag receiving arm and retained within the crotch 7 thereon by aspringprcssed finger a or such other retaining member as may beemployed. The ener y of momentum imparted to the bag causes t 1erotation of the catcher arm, and during the initial swinging movementthereof the releasing mcchanism is operated, the shield 10 beingdisengaged from the pin 5. The instant this takes place the spring ashifts the rotary support into a position in parallelism with the track,as indicated in the dotted lines in Fig. 1, and the support is held inthis position by the engagement of the hook 11 with the pin 12. Thefulcrum of the swinging arm is thus moved automatically away from thetrack, permitting the bagreceiving member to move in a different orbitfrom that in which it ori inally traveled in its initial 0 eration. T enew path of movement is su ciently beyond the train to prevent the armor catcher from striking any person within the moving train, while thecontinuous rotation takes up the momentum of the bag. In resetting themechanism, the supporting frame is moved into ri ht angular relation tothe track and the wieel 9 turned by the operator to effect the lockingengagement between the parts, when the catcher proper will be in properposition to receive the mail bag or pouch.

I may and preferably do employ in connection with the catcher arm meanspreferably in the form of an angle-shaped member A adapted to engage thebe near its point of attachment with the hol er and serving to removethe bag from its support without tearing the loops or other similardevices at the bag ends. As indicated in F i 3, this member is arrangedwith its vertica portion 12 upon the arm proper, and with its transverseortion 0 extending in arallelism with t e arm at a considerab e distanceabove the latter at a point where it will strike the bag near where theloop enga es the delivery mechanism. It is also desira le at times toprovide a receiver beneath the crotch or crotches on the catcher arm forsmall articles that might possibly fall through the crotches or suchother bagreceiving means as may be employed. I therefore employ a basketor other suitable receptacle, as B, which is connected to the arm asshown and depends therefrom in proper position.

What I claim as my invention is,

1. In mail handling apparatus, the combination of a continuously movablebag receivin member, and s ring-actuated means for shifting its orbit oimovement.

2. In mail handling a paratus, the combination of a continuous y movablebag receiving member, and spring-actuated means for shifting its orbitof movement after its initial operation by the delivered bag or pouch.

, 3. In a mail bag catcher, the combination with a movable bag receivingmember having a shiftable fulcrum, and spring-actuated means forautomatically shifting the fulcrum after the initial movement of thereceiving .member has been effected.

at. In a mail bag catcher, the combination with a bag receiving memberfulcrumed for swinging movement, and spring-actuated means controlled bysaid member for automatically shifting its fulcrum point.

5. In a mail bag catcher, the combination of a catcher arm fulcrumed forcontinuous horizontal rotation, and spring-actuated means controlled bythe arm for automatically shifting its fulcrum.

(3. In a mail bag catcher, the combination of :1 laterally projectingbag receiving member fulcrumed for continuous rotary movement in ahorizontal plane, the distance between one end of the bag receivingmember and the fulcrum point remaining constant and mechanism actingupon the initial rotation of said member to automatically shift itsfulcrum point.

7. In. a mail bag catcher, the combination with a movable support, of abag receiving member fulcrumed thereon for continuous rotary movement,and springactuated means for autonuitically shifting the support duringthe rotation of said member.

s. In a mail hag catcher, the combination with a spring-initiatedrotatable support, of retaining means for holding the support againstthe tension of its spring, a bag catching member pivoted upon thesupport, and releasing mechanism for the support controlled by saidmember.

9. ln a mail bag catcher, the combination with a spring-actuatedrotatable support, of means for holding the support against the tensionof its spring and for limitin its rotary movement, a bag catching mem erpivoted upon the support for continuous horizontal rotation, andreleasin mechanism for the support controlled by said member.

it). 111 a mail bag catcher, the combination with the spring-actuatedrotatable support, of means for holding the support against the tensionof its spring, means for limitin the rotary movement of the support anfor locking the latter after its partial rotation has been enected, abag catching member pivoted upon the support for continuous horizontalrotation, and releasing mechanism for the support controlled by saidmember.

11. In a mail bag catcher, the combination with a vertically pivotedspring-pressed frame, of a catcher arm fulcrumed thereon for continuousrotary movement in av horizontal plane, means for holding the frame andarm in substantially axial alinement against the tension of the framespring, means controlled by the arm for releasing the frame. and a stoplimiting the swinging movement of said frame.

12. In a mail bag catcher, the combination with a rotatable catcher arm,a bag receiving and retaining device at the extremity thereof, and meansassociated with the catcher arm for engaging the bag near its point ofattachment to the holder.

1?). In a mail bag catcher, the combination with a catcher arm. of a bagreceiving and retaining device at. the extremity thereof, and areceptacle carried by the arm beneath the bag receiving mechanism.

14. In a mail handling apparatus, the combination of a support, a bagreceiving member fulcrumetl upon the support for independent andcontinuous rotary movement, and means for autoi'natically shifting thesupport.

15. in, a mail handling apparatus, the combination of a shiftablesupport and a bag receiving member mounted thereon for continuous rotarymovement independent of said support.

16. In a mail bag catcher, the combination with a laterally projectingmember fulcrumed for continuous rotary movement in a horizontal planeand provided with lIlttIlr; for catching and retaining a mail bag orpouch, the connection between the fulcrum point and the laterallyprojecting member being such as to prevent relative lateral movementbetween the parts, and means for shifting the fulcrum.

17.111 a mail handling apparatus, the combination with a continuouslymovable bag receiving member, means for shifting its orbit oi movement.and means for holding said bag receiving member in locked position.

lb. in a mail handling apparatus, the combination with a eimtiuuouslymovable bag receiving member. spring actuated means for shifting itsorbit of movement, and retaining means for holding said bag receivingmemberagainst the tension of the sprin".

in testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

DAVID E. ("OUGHLlN. lYitnesses:

Y. J. BELnivAr, JAMES P. BARRY.

